Sparked Prime -Book 1 : Transformers Prime
by Autobot Chromia
Summary: The first book in a future series. How does the great Optimus Prime handle a surprised sparkling and his new sparkling? Optimus Prime and his child have many surprises and trials in store for them in this first book of Sparked Prime. Rated 'T' for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Optimus Prime had been feeling strange. Not in pain, so he had no seeked out Ratchet, but strange. It had only been a few weeks since he had returned back to base. He remembered nothing of the past months, his time with the Decepticons. Megatronus had lied to Orion Pax, usuing him. Jack had gone with Arcee and retrieved the Matrix of Leadership from Vector Sigma with the Key he had given them. Ever since then, he had felt different. He felt something strange, deep in his spark.

Besides his spark feeling a bit strange, he also felt sick. He also felt like he was all out of wack, and had found it hard to control his emotions.

A few days after his restoration to Optimus Prime, Bulkhead had been lobbing with Bumblebee in the main hangar. The lobbing ball was a bit big and heavy for the youngling, and he had dropped it. The heavy ball had cracked the ground badly, leaving an enourmous hole about the size of the metal ball in the cement. Optimus had suddenly found himself scoulding them in a voice that had been a bit too loud to have been just a normal lecture, and a bit harsher then he had meant to be.

Bulkhead had simply brushed his words off, and apologized, barely affected by them. Bumblebee had been different though. His doorwings had trembled and his large blue optics filled with coolant and began to drip down his faceplate. He had taken off into his room, and was heard crying for a few minutes.

Optimus had felt so bad that he had gone into the room once the sobbing had stopped and apologized for almost fifeteen minutes.

Optimus vented as he looked over the moniters again. It was an endless job, and one of the most lifesucking, driest jobs there were. To simple stand in one place and stare at a bright green screen until your helm ached. Optimus had a helm ache now, and his tank was acting up again. He had been feeling sick these last few days, but as nothing had happened he simply blamed it on stress.

He sucked in some air, and exhaled it. The moniters continued to glare at him with that slime shade of glowing, neon green. Nobody was at base to see him tiredly rub his dry optics. Ratchet was in the med-bay, and the others were picking up the children from school.

Speaking of the children, three engines rumbled into the main hangar. Bumblebee's door lifted up into the air, and a small boy hopped out with his bookbag. Jack was getting off of Arcee, and removing his helmet.

Bulkhead, who was last to pull up, popped open his door and an energetic female hopped out. Miko's hair was the same, two messy ponytails with a pink strip, and a braid in the back. Something seemed diefferent though, but not on her outward appearance. Her clothes where the same as always, she even had those clipped on stuffed animals in the same spot.

A sudden smell hit Optimus. It made his tank lurch and his helm pound worse. He composed himelf and glanced about the room. Arcee seemed to notice the smell as well.

"What is that?"she asked.

"My new perfume! You like?"Miko asked excitedly. "My parents sent it to me from Japan."

"It's..."Arcee stopped, not knowing what to say without offending the human girl. "Different."

Bulkhead vented. He went to the other side of the room, away from the citrusy, flowery, smelling girl. He went rather close to Optimus, who slid his facemask shut.

"What is that smell?"Ratchet demanded. "It's stinking up the entire base!"

"Chill out, Ratch."Miko rolled her eyes and flipped her hair. "It's just perfume."

"It's awful."Ratchet commented, waiving his hand before his olfactory sensor."How could you wear such a sent?"

"It's the latest from Japan!"Miko argued.

Bulkhead rolled his optics as he wantched the two begin to argue. Nobody noticed the struggling Prime. Bulkhead didn't know it yet, but Miko's perfume had sented him as well, and the green ex-wrecker practically radiated the stuff. The smell, the noise, the light from the moniter was all too much for Optimus. His battlemask automatically snapped back with a loud metalic sound, and he turned on his heels.

"Frag!"

Retreating metal footsteps, a door opening and closing, and then splashing, splattering, and retching sounds came from the hall. Everyone stood still, slightly dumbfounded.

"Did Optimus just cuss?"Bulkhead asked.

Arcee smaked him. "That's what you're concerned about?"Arcee took a step back. "You need to go wash. You smell worse then Miko."

"Hey!"the Japanese girl shouted.

Another gagging sound came muffled from the hall. Bulkhead was not going to go into the wash wracks now, at least not until Optimus was done. He turned to Miko.

"How about the car wash?"he asked. "The one where you do it."

"Awww."Miko complained, her shoulders drooping dramatically. "Can't we go to the automatic one?"

"No."Bulkhead said."Maybe some of the soap and water will wash off on you."

"Fi-ine."Miko drawled, hopping into the all terrain vehicle as he popped his fruity smelling door open.

"Take Jack and Rafael home as well."Ratchet ordered, marching towards the wash racks.

Not a single complaint was voice from either Cybertronian or human. Ratchet walked right up to the wash rack door and knocked three times, the sounds of retreating motors in the background getting farther away until they vanished.

"Optimus, are you in there?"Ratchet asked, if only to get an answer.

He got no voiced answer, but the gagging from inside was it's own antiphon. Ratchet opened up the door, and was slightly taken back. Optimus was standing in one of wash racks usually used for bathing. He stood over the drain, one hand on the wall for support as he gagged and purged as if his life depended on it. Ratchet couldn't tell if he liked the smell of regurgitated energon or Miko's perfume better. Ratchet was about to comment on Optimus' situation when the Prime did something rather strange. He began to rub the area his spark chamber lay.

"Optimus."Ratchet started, his voice showing a bit of worry. "Does your spark hurt?"

Optimus ventilated deeply, looking about to pass out. He shook his helm and closed his optics. He waivered a bit, and leaned against the wall. Ratchet quickly closed the door to the wash racks before going to his side, just in case somebot got back early. He got to the Prime just in time for him to sink to the floor, the wall keeping him from falling flat on his aft. The position he was slumped in showed that he was uncontious.

Ratchet went into a cupboard and got a rag and wet it with cool water. He placed it on the back of Optimus' neck and turned the water to the shower on, just to wash away the purged energon. As soon as it had all been cleaned away, and the shower turned off, a soft moan came from behind Ratchet.

"You up yet?"Ratchet asked, turning to face the Prime.

"Yes."came the rhasped reply.

"Can you get up?"Ratchet asked.

Optimus vented again, and slowly got up, leaning against the wall a bit for support. Ratchet took his servo and began to half support half drag the Prime out of the wash racks and towars the med-bay. They passed the others, who had returned awhile ago. The kept their distance out of respect for Optimus, but stood near the entrance to the doorless med-bay.

Ratchet practically shoved Optimus into one of the medical berths. "You better tell me if you're going to be sick again. I am not cleaning it up."Ratchet said strictly.

An amused looked danced through Optimus' optics a second. He began to rub above his spark chamber again, although the motion was not meant to get rid of pain or calm himself. Ratchet instantly began to scan the larger mech, who sat still with his optics shuttered.

"By the Allspark."Ratchet gasped silently, but loud enought for everyone to hear. Ratchet was shure that if the scanner had not been a part of him, it would have clattered to the floor.

Optimus unshuttered his optics. "What have you found?"

Ratchet didn't answer. Instead, he went to the large moniter to the side of the room and began to type and scroll about it. A large double screen popped up. One side was blank, while the other side showed a white glowing ball, with a smaller one on the side. Everyone instantly knew what it was.

"Is that my spark?"Optimus asked.

"No."Ratchet replied. "This is the spark of a carrying bot. You can see the NewSpark here."he said, pointing at the smaller spark.

"Why are you showing this?"Optimus asked. Ratchet again didn't answer, but pressed a single button.

The blank side of the screen lit up to show a large spark, pulsating while the other side of the screen remained still. A small white, glowing ball swarmed about the pulsating spark, pulsating as well and almost to sync with the larger one.

"That is your spark."Ratchet stated.

Ratchet heard a very un-Prime like gasp, and then a very loose vent.

"Ep, ep, ep!"Ratchet excalimed. "Deep vents."

Optimus looked half concous as he tried not to pass out a second time. He took a very deep vent, held it, and let it out with a whoosh. His optics were a bit dimmer then they usually were, but not much. He could only mumble a single word.

"How?"

Ratchet shook his helm. "That I don't know. One of th first things I checked when you returned back to Optimus Prime was for that of a spark merge or interfacing, be it forced or voluntary. I found no such proof."

"Are you sure that it is, indeed, a NewSpark?"Optimus asked.

Ratchet glanced at him with a look that said 'I am the medic, after all'. He sent another look ar Optimus, one that had the Prime glarring back at him.

"Termination is out of the question."Optimus rumbled deeply.

"I understand that, Optimus, but what are we supposed to do?"Ratchet asked. "A sparkling in a war zone, your sparkling. If Megatron found out...there's no telling what he would try and do."

"It is a new life."Optimus replied, usuing the present tense as it was indeed life. "It did not choose the moment of it's beginig, or what time it was to be born into."

"You've got nothing to worry about, doc."Bulkhead said from the 'doorway'. "If a Con tries anything..."He smashed his fist into his hand to let the others make their own assumptions.

Arcee nodded in agreement, taking her blades in and out once. Bumblebee looked angered, at the thought of the Decepticons hurting an innocent sparkling. The Decepticons had killed his creators at the very beginig of the war. He whirred aloud.

/I'd like to see them try!/

Optimus turned to look at the medic. His very posture and air declaired his own guard for the unborn. Ratchet nodded.

"I see that the sparkling will have pleanty of protection."Ratchet observed. "It's getting late, Optimus. Go get some recharge and report back to me in the morning."

"For what reasons?"Optimus asked, all ready getting up.

"You are going to need thicker armour."Ratchet stated as he turned off the moniter. "I know you. You will fight until you physically are unable to. Heck, you could be alone and blown to pieces and you would still try and fight against the Cons!"

Optimus made a small face, one that was baerly noticable. He did not very much like the idea of being 'alone and blown to pieces'. Right now though, he was tired. Tired, that was the understatement of the aeon. He went past the others and to his berthroom for some much needed rest.

He was in recharge before he was even able to topple into the berth. He had left the door unlocked, as the sleep had fogged his mind. Ratchet was able to slide the door open easily, and fix the Prime. His pedes were lifted into the berth, as one of the dangled off the side and onto the floor. A warming blanket was drapped over him, and then the door closed and remained unlocked.

Ratchet sat down in his berthroom, but not on his berth. He was at the desk, large pieces of metal scattered about it and the floor. He had to make thick armour for Optimus' chasis and stomach area. If he was injured in his tank area, especially his gestational chamber, when the NewSpark went down to begin it's protoform, it would naturally terminate. If he was injured in his chasis area, the NewSpark had a high chance of termination naturally as well.

Ratchet vented. This was an odd situation. Just how had Optimus become sparked? Ratchet was completely positive that nothing had happened to Optimus aboard the 'Nemesis'. A spark always had a distinct signature if it had been merged recently. The NewSpark dated to about a few weeks ago, so the merging had to be about the same time they had gotten Optimus back.

But there had been no time for Optimus to have merged during that time, and there still was no merging signature! Ratchet grumbled in frustation, banging the metal a bit too loudly for Arcee next door, who pounded on the wall for silence.

"Go back to recharge."Ratchet groused.

After a few seconds, Ratchet went back to his work. For a NewSpark to be formed, the spark had to merge. Simple as that. To merge, the chasis had to be opened and the spark chamber and spark revealed. This was usually only between bonded mates, as the spark was considered sacred. When had Optimus opened his chasis? Ratchet nearly dropped the hammer he was usuing.

Optimus had opened his spark chamber when Jack had bestowed the Matrix of Leadership to the Prime. Ratchet left his work, as he was pretty much done with it anyways. He was just being a perfectionist now. He went back to the med-bay, and pulled up a picture of Optimus' spark and the NewSpark. The image was stilled, and grid lines appeared and dissapeared in random orders. Ratchet sat down in a medical berth with a data-pad, to wait until the scan was complete.

The data-pad was nothing speacial, just a simple medical pad on how to handle a Sparked bot and how to deliver safely in different situations. Typical stuff. Ratchet was begining to reach the section on complications when the moniter beeped. Ratchet didn't even bother to turn off or lay aside his pad as he went over to check on it.

The pad slipped from his fingers and landed to the floor with a small thud and a crack. The bright screen didn't dim, but the glyphs became horribly scrambled and illegible. Ratchet took a single step back in shock.

The scan had been to find the sire and carrier 'DNA' in the NewSpark. Optimus' DNA was clear as day and just what it should be. To Ratchet's complete shock, there was no sire DNA at all.

No sire DNA.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Optimus woke up slowly. He streached out a bit, the bunched up warming blanket clung to his pedes like a boa constrictor. After a few moments, he opened his optics. He sighed a bit as he sat up. Ratchet had ordered him to see him first thing int he morning for a new armour fitting. Optimus, who could read between the lines very well, knew that Ratchet had a good many things to say to him as well.

The med-bay was reached in a less then three minutes. His optics were still a bit dropped, and Optimus' processor was still fogged with recharge.

"Wondered when you were going to get up."Ratchet was heard before he was seen.

Optimus checked his internal chronometer. He hadn't slept in that much, had he? It was hard to tell though, as the base had no windows. His chronometer showed a little after 10 o'clock. This was very late, concidering he was usually up at 6 o'clock sharp, or earlier.

"Why did you not wake me?"Optimus asked the medic, who had done so in the past.

"You needed the recharge."Ratchet answered as he shoved Optimus on a berth.

"We cannot afford for me to sleep in."Optimus stated. "What if the Decepticons had attacked?"

"Those lazy afts are still probably alseep in their berths!"Ratchet exclaimed as he began to remove some of Optimus' armour.

"Probably."Optimus replied, smirking a bit. He and Ratchet were very close and old friends. They could become a bit more lax when around each other.

"I have something that might interest you."Ratchet said as he began to fit some of the armour onto Optimus. He found that it did not fit as snugly as he wanted. Grumbling, he began to hammer it into shape on the desk, not bothering to replace the old armour.

"And what would that be?"Optimus asked.

"The Decepticons could not have sired your sparkling."Ratchet answered.

"That is good to know."Optimus said simply. "Who then is it?"

"Optimus."Ratchet started, stopping his work. "There is no sire."

Optimus looked at him, rather blankly. "How could there be no sire for my offspring?"

"That took awhile to find out."Ratchet started. "But I believe that the closest thing to a 'sire' is the Matrix. It did something to you, causing a second spark."

Optimus, though feeling a bit surprised, did not show any of it. In fact, he wasn't really surprised at all. He might have been a bit shocked, astounded, but not surprised.

Before either bot could continue the discussion, Bumblebee pulled into base from having dropped Raf off at school. Optimus had been asleep when he had left, so he went to the med-bay now to see if Ratchet had any news.

/Hey, Ratch?/ Bee started as he neared the bay. /Is Opt-/

The steady buzzing and whirring broke off into a robotic screech, much like that of an exclaimation of 'Whoa!'.

Bumblebee ducked his helm, his faceplates heating up in embarrasment. Optimus Prime, his leader, lay on a medical berth without his armour. Bumblebee wasn't sure if he still had his cod piece on or not, but he was not about to look and find out.

/S-sorry!/Bumblebee exclaimed, to surprised to do anything but stand there with his helm down and his optics shuttered tight.

Optimus smiled in amusement, even though the youngling couldn't see it.

"It's all right, Bumblebee."Optimus said.

Bumblebee kept his optics shut and began to feel about for the 'doorframe'. As soon as he had reached it, he darted away. Ratchet chuckled a bit.

"It's not like he doesn't have the same parts."Ratchet said. "Heck, all your missing is your chasis and stomach armour!"

"Bumblebee is young still."Optimus said. "Let him remain innocent as long as he can. Innocence is rare in a war."

Ratchet nodded a bit. He placed the armour on Optimus and fused it to him. It looked just like his old armour, except that it was a bit heavier. It was going to take some getting used to, but would offer the protection needed.

"There."Ratchet stated, standing back and looking it over. Optimus began to get up. "Go get a cube of energon and refuel."

Optimus gave a single nod of his helm. He rose to go do so, and then go to the moniters. Ratchet stopped him with his famous, or infamous, 'Ep ep ep's. Optimus turned back to face the medic.

"Not regular energon."Ratchet ordered, going into a cupboard. "No High Grade, mid-grade, of low grade for you."

"Then what is there left?"Optimus asked.

Ratchet pulled a magenta cube from the cupboard he had been rummaging through.

"Medical grade."

Optimus took it and thanked him, taking the cube and then going to the moniters as planned. After a few minutes of watching them, Optimus split the screen and put on a local human news channel. It was always a good thing to know what was going on around earth.

Optimus became engrossed in the station for a few minutes, and absent mindedly took a sip of the cube. Dreadfully unprepared for it, he made a disgusted face. Thankfully, nobody saw him and he quickly swallowed it. It was extremely bitter, even more so then raw dandelion leaves. Optimus grimaced at the thought of having to finish it, but he heard a pede tapping impatiently behind him.

"Drink it."Ratchet ordered.

"You drink it."Optimus argued.

"I am not the one sparked."Ratchet stated. "I can drink this."

Ratchet held up a half full cube of energon, and swilled the contents a bit. Optimus glared a bit at the medic.

"That is low, Ratchet."Optimus said.

Ratchet shrugged and took a long drough from his cube. He sighed and smirked at the Prime, as if to aske if he was going to do anything about it. Optimus vented and turned back to the moniters, and flipped to a non-local news channel. He took another sip of the cube, and slowly began to become used to the taste.

After a few hours, the news had been off for quite some time, and those glarring green screens stared Optimus down. Moniter duty really sucked, literally, as in it was the worst task and sucked the very life from the one doing it.

Somewhere between now and then, those awful screens stopped glarring green and went black. It wasn't scary or caused alarm, but was comforting and warm. Suddenly, the ground around Optimus began to shake, and those green screens once again popped up.

"Optimus."Arcee's voice cut through the darkness like a knife, and light once again filled the room.

"Yes, Arcee?"Opimus asked, surprised at how tired and rough his voice sounded.

"Why don't I take over the moniters?"Arcee asked.

"There is no need for that, but I thank you for the offer."Optimus returned, runnbing his optics once.

"There kind of is a need. "Arcee argued. "You fell asleep, standing up."

"Go take a nap, Optimus!"Ratchet shouted from the makeshift lab room.

Optimus took a silent yet deep vent. He glanced at Arcee for a moment. He really should stay uo and watch this Pit spawned moniters, but he had been there for a few hours and he was tired. No, he was exhausted. He was fighting to stay awake now. A warm hand was gently pressed on his servos.

"It's fine."Arcee said, her voice soft and low, as if tempting him even farther into recharge. "I'll watch them."

"Thank you."Optimus said simply, his voice no longer rough but replacedx now with fatigue.

He went up the halls to his berthroom, and again fell asleep before his helm hit the berthtop.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Is Optimus all right?"Bulkhead asked, having observed the entire ordeal. He had been the one who had found the Prime asleep at the moniters, but had not known what to do.

"He's fine."Ratchet replied.

Bumblebee whirred in a not too sure way.

"It's his first period sparked."Ratchet said. "The NewSpark is taking direct energy from his spark right now, draining him. He won't be so tired once it moves down to the gestational chamber."

"So he'll just be tired?"Arcee asked. "We can deal with that."

"Tired, nauseous at times, and a bit emotional for this period."Ratchet explained. "Nothing that bad though."

/Emotional?/ Bumblebee asked.

Ratchet nodded. "For example, when he snapped at you and Bulkhead for the hole in the ground a few days ago. He said everything I was going to." he chuckled.

Bumblebee nodded back, and made a mental note not to 'step on Optimus' toes'.

"Go back to whatever you were doing."Ratchet ordered, shoving them from his lab and returning to his work.

Arcee went to watch the moniters, as she had promiced. Bulkhead had patrol, and Bumblebee was to go on a scouting mission for energon. They had enough to last a few months, but they always needed more, especially if somebot was injured badly enough for a tranfusion of drip.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Optimus stumbled from his berthroom an hour and a half later. How could he still be so tired after he had slept in that morning and taken a nap? He felt like he hadn't slept in days. He went to the main hangar, where Arcee was still at the moniters. He thanked her and told her that he would relieve her of duty.

"That's all right."Arcee told the towering mech. "I got this."

Optimus was about to contradict her when a voice called out to him from the human lift that led to the topside of the base.

"Prime!"

"Agent Fowler."Optimus acknoledged, his voice calm, cool, and colective.

"I just got a message from your medic."Agent Fowler began in his 'I am not pleased at all' voice. "He tells me that you're sparked? What in Sam Hill is that supposed to mean."

Optimus remained silent for a moment, for two reasons. The first reason was that he needed to do a quick internet search to see what words would be best understood by a human. The second reason, was that for some reason Agent Fowler was getting on his nerves more then he usually was.

"Ratchet told you that I am...pregnant?"Optimus asked, usuing a term that most closely related his situation.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa."Agent Fowler exclaimed, waiving his hands and arms about like Bumblebee did. "Hang on a second...you, a male, pregnant?"

"We do not have genders, but mechs and femmes."Optimus began, trying to use simple words. "Our builds and voice modules do resemble that of human genders, male and female, but I assure you that we are not that."

"So..."Agent Fowler drawled the word. "What the heck's the difference?"

"Femmes are more suitable for carrying, but mechs are cappable as well."Optimus explained patiently.

"So, let me get this straight."Agent Fowler pinched the bridge of his nose. "Arcee's a femme and can carry your kids, but you 'mechs' can get them too?"

"Not all mechs can carry, where as all femmes can."Optimus continued, his voice calm while he was inwardly squishing the ignorant human. "Mechs are divided into carriers and creators. Bulkhead is a creator, while Bumblebee would be an example of a carrier."

Agent Fowler sighed, his head swimming with information. He both wanted and didn't want to know what Ratchet was, but in the end decided that some things were best unknown.

"So, who's the baby's daddy?"Agent Fowler asked.

Optimus had to do another quick internal internet search. He found out that not only was Agent Fowler asking who the creator was, he was also asking who had 'knocked him up' without that of 'marriage' or bonding. Optimus clenched and uncleanched his fists once or twice, seriously debating squishing him right now.

"There is no sire, or 'father' to my sparkling. Ratchet has said that the Matrix bestowed the second life upon my spark for unknown intentions."Optimus replied.

Agent Fowler took a few seconds to decode the sentence. He knew what the Matrix of Leadership was, and some logic and common sense told him that a sparkling was most likely a baby.

"What am I supposed to tell my officials? They saw the message, thanks to Ratchet's text."Agent Fowler pointed an accusing at the white and orange mech watching from the hallway.

"You will tell them what I have told you."Optimus said firmly. "Good day, Special Agent William Fowler."

Bill looked at the Prime a second, about to argue that his superiors weren't going to take that answer. The stern and irritated look on Optimus' face, and the clenched hand told him that it would be best to take off. Without a word, AGent Fowler got into the lift and departed.

"Ratchet."Optimus called, never turning to face the mech. His voice did not show any signs of trying to hide the irritation.

"Yes, Optimus?"Ratchet asked, going to the Prime's side.

"Why have you told Agent Fowler of the situation?"Optimus asked, his voice becoming more and more irritated.

"I didn't think he'd run right over here."Ratchet expalined, and explained quickly. "I thought it would be better to tell him before he found out himself when your near the end and unable to transform."

"Why did you not ask me first?"Optimus asked, staring the medic down.

"You were in recharge."Ratchet said rather sharply.

Optimus grumbled a bit under his breath. Everything was getting on his nerves, the steady beeping of the moniters, the recent confrontation with Agent Fowler, how dirty the base was, the lack of energon in the vault, just everything! The thing was, he was down to his very last nerves. Anymore bad news or noise and he was going to snap.

Speaking of the devil, Bulkhead pulled up with Miko and Raf, Jack was at his part-time job. Miko hopped right out, and Raf came out a bit more calmly and timidly. Miko ran right up to Optimus' pede, not realizing how close he was to stepping on anything that annoyed him.

"Hey Boss-bot, I hear congrats are in order!"Miko exclaimed loudly.

That wasn't so bad. At least she wasn't asking an questions. Bulkhead probably explained everything to the two children on their way here.

"Hi, Optimus."Raf greeted. "I see you're feeling better."

"Thank you, Miko, Rafael."Optimus said with a small nod of his helm.

"We have to celebrate!"Miko exclaimed.

Before anyone could say anything, an electric quitar and amp were plugged in. A few screeching, blasting sounds came from the amp as Miko began to violently strum the stringed instrument. Optimus and Ratchet both covered their audios.

"Stop that infernal racket!"Ratchet shouted.

Bumblebee pulled in at last from his energon scouting. Optimus uncovered his audios as the scout neared him, most likely to tell him about the search. Optimus hoped to Primus that the news was in the positive in any way, shape, or form. Oh, how twisted a sense of humour Primus has!

"Bumblebee, how was your search?"Optimus asked.

Bumblebee vented, dorrwings drooping a bit. /I didn't even find so much as a small pulse! I traveled almost fifety miles out of Navada, and not even a small vein!/

Miko strummed a very loud and screechy note at that very moment. Instead of shouting at everone to leave, Optimus took a very deep vent and went towards the human girl. He reached down with two digits and unplugged the quitar from the amp. The music came to a sudden stop, and left a terrible ringing in Optimus' audios.

"Hey!"Miko exclaimed.

Optimus didn't stop there. He then reached down and took the quitar from Miko's hands. That was quite a challenge, was she hung off of the thing like a leech. Once she and her quitar were separated, Optimus took another vent to keep from throwing it against the wall and wathing it svatter about like confetti. Instead, he went over to a place that was in sight, but very much out of reach for any human, and placed it there. Without a word, Optimus left the room.

Ratchet had to stifle his laughs as he watched the guitar get placed where Raf had been when Bumblebee had been taken over by Megatron. He laughed a bit after Optimus had left the room.

"My guitar!"Miko pouted.

"Finally."Ratchet sighed contentedly. "Peace and quiet."

Arcee came from the hall, a bit wet having come from the wash racks. She was about to pick up Jack, but had had some free time.

"Anyone want to tell me why Optimus looks angrier then the Unmaker himself?"Arcee asked, pointing her thumb digit over her shoulder at the hall.

"Optimus finally had enough."Ratchet said, still smirking.

"Of?"

"Agent Fowler, Miko's music..."Ratchet explained. Ratchet vented after a moment. "i'll go talk to him."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Knock Knock Knock

"Go away!"

Ratchet opened the door anyways. He came across a very angry and now sulking Optimus. He sat limply in his desk chair, a hand over his optics as he tried to calm himself.

"Optimus-"

"I went too far."Optimus inturrupted.

"What?"

"I should not have taken away Miko's instrument. It is her possession, and I had no right to take it." Optimus berated himself.

Ratchet shrugged. "The kid should learn to be more quiet. You can give it back to her before she leaves."

"Can anything ever go right for once?"Optimus asked, sagging in the chair a bit more.

"What do you mean?"Ratchet asked, taking a seat on the edge of the berth.

"You know exactly what I mean."Optimus stated. "Can a vein of energon ever be found easily? Can Agent Fowler simply not have to tell the government ever aspect of our lives. Can I not be sparked?"

Optimus raised his voice a bit at the end. He shook his helm, resting his elbow on the desk and his forehelm in his propped up hand.

"I'm not ready."

"You'll do fine."Ratchet said matter-of-factly.

"I have never raised a child before."Optimus admitted as if it were a sin.

"So?"Ratchet asked."It's not like you're alone. The entire base is here to help."

Optimus nodded. "What about the sparkling? I've read that it forms a bond with both it's carrier and sire. Without these bonds, the sparkling can have many problems."

Ratchet nodded in agreement. He had had the same thought himself. A sparkling could actually die from lack of bonds.

"I think..."Ratchet started slowly. "That since there is no sire DNA to begin with, the sparkling won't be needing the sire bond."

Optimus thought about that for a moment. It did make sense. Optimus vented again. He rose to his pedes.

"Where are you going?"Ratchet asked.

"To the main hangar."Optimus stated. "I have something that needs to be returned to Miko."

Author's Notes : Okay, that's chapter 2. I wanted to make Optimus 'hormonal' like pregnant/sparked people are, but cannot picture a raving, ranting OP. I think this is how a 'hormonal' Optimus is. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please RxR.

Chapter Bonus Question! (These will be posted every so often) What do you think the sparkling is/ name's going to be?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"We have energon on the move."Ratchet announced from the moniters.

It had been almost two weeks since Optimus had been told that he was sparked. The NewSpark had not gone down to the gestational chamber yet, and continued to fatigue it's carrier by draining him of energy.

Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee waited by the ground bridge for Optimus to find the coordinates. Ratchet powered up the ground bridge. It whirred to life with flashes of green, blue, white, and purple.

"Autobots."Optimus started. "Prepare to roll out.

All four of them transformed and quickly drove through the bridge. It was powered on energon; energon they didn't have. It snapped shut behind them. The Autobots found themselves deep in the bowels of a cave, Decepticon miners in the distance. Bulkhead was looking at a handheld scanner.

"That's it?"he asked himself aloud.

The scanner showed only a few energy signals, and a small, barely noticable pulse of raw energon.

"No matter how small, we must get this energon for our own supply."Optimus said, his voice low as to not alert the few Decepticons. A plan was quickly laid out, and was begun. Arcee, the smallest and most agile, snuck foward. She was unseen by the Decepticons as she snuck up behind the drill and thrust her blades into it. It sputtered and whined before giving out.

"What the-?"the Decepticon miner exclaimed as his drill stopped. "Hey, Steve, my drill's out!"

"Then fix it!"the Eradicon called back. "And hurry up, Megatron's not going to be happy unless he gets this 'gon!"

"All right, all right."the miner called back.

Miners were considered the servant class, not warrior or even scout class. They were not fitted with any kind of weapons, and were usually used as living shields by Eradicons. This miner went around to the back of his drill, and was shocked at what he saw. A huge slash was in the back of his drill.

"Oh, Megatron's gonna kill me!"

A metalic clink came from the other side of the drill. Curios and nervous, he slowly went to the other side of the drill. A small, blue femme with delicate doorwings and a helm crest looked back at him, smirking. She put a digit to her lips.

"Shhh."

"A-Auto-"a blue fist smashed into his face.

The miner fell back, uncontious. Arcee would never kill him unless he pulled a weapon or became a real threat. He ws simply trying to warn the others, so she knocked him out to get him out of the way. She commed back to the others.

: He's out and the coast is clear, for now :

: Understood : Optimus commed back.

He powered up his cannons. Bumblebee did the same, and Bulkhead took out his wrecking balls. The three mechs slowly began to go deeper into the cave, one by one. Bulkhead wasn't really watching where he was going, and as soon as they had reached Arcee, accidentally kicked a large stone. It clattered and banged down a slight slope in the floor.

"Oops."

"Did you hear something?"an Eradicon asked from around a bend in the cave.

"Who couldn't hear that? Sounds like a stactite fell!"a second voiced.

"A what?"the first Eradicon asked.

"It's a-you know what? Just forget it, Steve."

Footsteps came closer and closer until the onlined weapon of an Eradicon came from around the bend, followed by slender servos and then the frames of a few Eradicons.

"Autobots!"one shouted, firing.

The rest began to fire as well, only to be countered by the Autobots. Two out of the five fell, and one was serverly injured and fled deeper into the cave. Two rather skilled fighters hid behind stalagmites and fired.

Optimus gasped a second, and his vision blurred. He felt something flutter about his spark, but in a way different from what it usually was. He offlined one of his cannons and put his hand over his chasis as he tried to fire with his other servo.

/ Optimus?/ Bumbelebee whirred, seeing the soemwhat pained face on his leader. /Are you okay?/

Optimus didn't answer him. If he turned his focus away from firing on the Decepticons, he knew that he would collapse into a heap on the ground. He fired a bit scattered again, and one of the Eradicons fell, leaving one left. Arcee lept up and twisted herself about in the air, and fired on the last Con. He was his once in the helm, and again in the chasis. He fell back into a pool of his own energon. A crackling, staticy sound came from him a moment, and then his helm tilted to the side. Arcee landed in a crouched position, and slowly rose to her full hight. She blew the smoke from her cannons before flipping them in and taking her hands back out.

She turned to see Optimus sink to his knees.

"Whoa."Bulkhead exclaimed a bit. "Easy there."

Optimus' was ventilating differently, not hard or pained, but a bit sharp and gasped. His hand was still over his chest. A ground bridge was opened, and Bulkhead helped the only slightly lucid Prime to his pedes. Optimus barely saw anything, and heard very little as he was helped through the bridge. When he began to 'come to', he was looking up into Ratchet's faceplates from a medical berth. He did not looked worried, well, not that worried.

"Deep vents."Ratchet ordered, scanning the chasis from the hundreth time. "The NewSpark is detaching."

Optimus nodded, as Ratchet had just answered his unasked question. There was an image on the screen, a live feed of the NewSpark's detachment. It was fluttering about, jerking away from Optimus' larger spark from time to time. Every time it jerked away, a small current of energy would pull it back, but the current was being weakened, slowly. It was visible that the current was some sort of bond that was being frayed and broken.

Optimus watched the screen, as did the others. The NewSpark was putting on quite a show. It's jerks became more and more frequent. They were uncomfortable, but not painful. The NewSpark jerked hard, and a snap was seen on the screen. Optimus' optics widened as he felt the detachment. He sucked in air as he felt the NewSpark head downwards.

"Stay still, Optimus."Ratchet said. "The NewSpark has to find it's way."

The NewSpark moved quickly and skillfully, as if it knew the way. Within a matter of minutes, it was still and became a bit dimmer.

"Wow."Ratchet exclaimed. "That was the fastest detachment I have ever seen."

"Why did it grow darker?"Bulkhead asked.

"It's begining to form a protoform."Ratchet answered."Now everyone out."

/Why?/ Bumblebee asked in a whining beep.

"I want to check some things, and I said so."Ratchet said, crossing his servos across his chasis. "Besides, don't you all have energon to harvest?"

The others left. Ratchet sent a beam of light from his internal scanner over Optimus. There was not a single flash of light nor a beep.

"Everything checks out."Ratchet replied. "Funny time for the NewSpark to choose to detach, right in the middle of a battle!"

"It didn't know."Optimus replied, a bit tired from having his spark manhandled by the second being.

He stifled a yawn as he swung his pedes off of the side of the berth to go help the others cube and store the raw energon.

"Ah,ah,ah."Ratchet wagged his finger. "You can go to your berthroom and rest."

"It is early in the evening, Ratchet."Optimus replied. "I am more then capable of helping bring in a bit of energon."

"The others can handle it."Ratchet stated. "You need to rest, the sparkling needs a bit of quiet time to begin it's protoform. If you're not tired, then read a pad."

Optimus vented in a defeated manner. He gave a small nod of his helm, to show that he would do it. He began to turn to leave.

"Wait."Ratchet ordered, going to a shelf and grabbing one of the data-pads from it. He tossed it across the room, and Optimus caught it. He looked at Ratchet questionly.

"You'll see."Ratchet smirked. "Don't turn it on until you get to your room."

Optimus looked at him oddly, and turned and left. He took a step out of med-bay, turned around, and went back in. He held an onlined data-pad in his hands.

"Ratchet, this is a pad on human pregnancy."Optimus stated.

Ratchet smirked bigger, knowing that Optimus hadn't listened to the 'don't turn it on' part.

"I know that."Ratchet replied. "This stage of being sparked is so similar to female human pregnancy's, I copied one of their books to a pad. I made a few changes here and there."

Optimus again left and this time made it to his room. He streached out on the berth comfortably and onlined the data-pad a second time and began to read. Optimus noticed quite a few changes in the book, especially in 'Chapter 6: Proper Eating and Exercise'. It was quite obvious that the humans did not have to drink medical grade energon, and refrain from High Grade. Optimus skipped a few pages on proper exercises.

"If Ratchet thinks I am doing that, then he had better think again."Optimus mumbled to himself.

That would be something to see, especially for his soilders. A well rounded, sparked Prime trying to touch his toes or doing 'Yoga stretches.' Somewhere between 'Chapter 8: Preparations' and 'Chapter 12: Restrictions', Optimus fell into a light recharge.

Author's Note : A short chapet, I know and I apologize. 

Story Question-Can anyone picture a preggy OP doing Yoga? 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"That's it."Ratchet announced. "Congratulations, Optimus."

Optimus grumbled as he tried to get up from the medical berth. Ratchet laughed at his failed attempt.

"This is not funny, Ratchet."Optimus continued to grumble and mumble his words. "I cannot get up, and now you inform me that I cannot transform."

Optimus was now in his sixth 'month' of being sparked. Not much had happened during that time. The Cons had attacked here and there, with little to no casualties; a few veins of energon had been harvested and placed in the storage vault, and Optimus had grown out quite a bit. He found it very hard to get up from a sitting position, and perferred to stand as much as he could. Well, that is, until hie pedes and ankles ached, and then he would be forced to either sit or lie down. A few crates had been stacked up at the moniters, for him to sit at if his pedes began to become too sore to stand any longer.

Ratchet still hadn't stopped laughing. He only laughed at a few things, and he especcialy liked to laugh at Optimus. Just today the Prime was about to go for a drive and scouting mission with Bumblebee when an odd whirring noise came from Optimus. Not a single plate moved, and he remained standing. Ratchet had snickered and dragged him into the med-bay, and now he lay here, unable to get up.

"Please, Ratchet."Optimus asked in a none too pleased voice. "Stop laughing and help me up."

"Fine, fine."Ratchet said, grabbing the Prime's servos and yanking him up.

Optimus took a second to regain his balance. His centre of gravity had shifted quite a bit. He had begun to do what Miko had blatantly called a 'waddle'. He would sway a bit as he walked, but he didn't think he 'waddled' like the flightless earth birf, the penguin. He could not believe though, that he was actually supposed to get bigger! With an irratated vent, Optimus went to the moniters.

He glanced about the room, and saw some of the others drinking cubes of energon after a recon mission. They were talking and laughing a bit, but Optimus was not paying attention to the conversation. He had his optics glued to the cubes of energon that sparkled in the artificial, florecent lighting. What he wouldn't give for one of them! Just a single cube of blue energon, no more of that bitter medical grade.

Optimus tore his optics away and focused on the moniters again. He had all ready had his morning rations, but that had been a few hours ago. His tank grinded a bit, but not loudly enough to hear. Optimus pushed it aside and continued his work.

He split the screen and brought up some old files that needed to be decoded and organized. They were nothing of great value, but there was nothing else to do and they should have been done awhile ago. Optimus' tank grinded again, a bit louder.

Optimus again ignored it, and pushed the crates over to the moniter with his pede. He sat down atop of them, a few groaning in protest. Optimus continued with his work until another grind came from his empty tank.

Rolling his optics, Optimus scolded himself for being hungry. He put all of his determination and concentration on his work. A new sound came from his tank area, but not grinding. Instead, a loud, echoing knock came from his stomach plating. Bulkhead's Bumblebee's, and Arcee's helms jerked up and looked at the Prime.

"What was that?"Arcee asked.

"The sparkling."Optimus said, a bit surprised and amazed. "It's first kicks."

/Wow!/Bumblebee exclaimed, completely excited. /Does it hurt?/

Optimus shook his helm. "No."

Bumblebee looked a bit sheepish, and his doorwings twitched a bit in nervous energy. /C-can I feel?/

Optimus' demeanor softened towards the timid yellow youngling. Optimus took Bumblebee's hand, and placed it on his stomach armour. The sparkling must have known that it had an audience, and proceded to hit and kick Bumblebee's hand once or twice. Bumblebee started for a second, his optics widening in surprise and excitement.

/I felt it!/ Bumblee be said excitedly./I felt him kick!/

"Him?"Bulkhead asked. "Ratchet hasn't said what it is yet."

"It could very well be a femme."Arcee added.

Optimus, on the other hand, question Bumblebee instead of what he said.

"Why do you say it is a mech?"Optimus asked.

Bumblebee shrygged one of his shoulders. /Dunno, just think it's a mech/

Optimus nodded. He himself had a feeling about the sparkling's 'gender', but de cided to keep his assumptions to himself. At least, until Ratchet was able to confirm them.

Optimus made another noise, but this time it wasn't the sparkling kicking. Instead, his tank grinded embarrassingly loud. Bumblebee quickly went and returned with a cube of magenta medical grade. He handed it to Optimus, who took it with thanks.

The others dispersed and went about their day, leaving Optimus to the moniter and his cube of energon.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Hey, Optimus, mind coming into my med-bay?"Ratchet asked sometime during Optimus' seventh 'month'.

Optimus vented from his seat. He was again on the crates, although the were just as uncomfortable as standing now. His large stomach made it impossible to see past his pedes. Luckily, there had been no Decepticon attacks recently, so his condition was known only by a few humans and those on Team Prime.

"For what reasons, Ratchet?"Optimus asked, not wanting to get up if he didn't absolutely have to.

"The sparkling should be formd enough to find out what it is." Ratchet said.

Optimus gave a small nod as he began the hard task of getting up. It was easier to get up from the crates then from his berth. As he followed the medic to the med-bay, his processor went back to earlier that morning.

Optimus slowly unshuttered his optics. It was 6 o'clock sharp, just right. He, for once, felt well rested and began to rise. To his shock, he was stuck. He could not sit up. He tried to roll over on his side, only to have his large stomach get in the way. He tried to scoot down to the open end of the berth, but again the attempt was fuitile.

Venting heavily, Optimus positioned himself in a more comfortable way. He reached over to the berthside table and took up the data-pad on it, onlined it, and began to read. He had never finished that pad Ratchet had given him when the Sparkling had detached. He still had quite a few chapters to finish.

After awhile, Optimus checked his internal chronometer. It was almost 7:30. Ratchet should have been up awhile ago. Why had he not looked for him? Did Optimus really want Ratchet to see him like this? Stuck in his berth, helpless? He was given no time to answer these questions, and they remained rhetorical as a knock at the door filled the air.

"Optimus, are you up?"Ratchets voice called in.

"Yes."came the unamused answer.

The door was opened, and Ratchet looked in. Optimus had decided one last time to try and sit up, but failed and fell back upon the berth. Ratchet burst out laughing, and leaned against the doorframe for support.

"I am glad that you find my predicament amusing."Optimus mumbled.

"Believe me, I do."Ratchet chuckled as he went over and helped the Prime up.

"Thank you, Ratchet."Optimus had grumbled as he left the room.

"All right."Ratchet vented. "Here we go."

Ratchet had a rather large machine fitted with a small screen beside the medical berth. A cold, gel like substance had been squirted on the Prime's stomach plating, and a hand-held pyramid shaped device was pressed into the gel.

Optimus held back a shiver as Ratchet beganto move the divice around. This was not his first time under this device, the ultrasound machine. Ratchet flipped a switch, and the sound of the sparkling's sparkbeat filled the room. Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead could hear it all the way into the main hangar. Optimus closed his otpics, relishing the sound.

Ratchet closed his optics as well and listened hard,although his reasons were not for pleasure. He was listening for a defect or irregular sparkbeat. Finding none, he moved the device about intill the image of the sparkling appeared.

It was curled up on it's back, it's servos and pedes flailing a bit. It's hand became visible, and each of it's digits was illuminated by the black and white image. It's optics were seen blinking, although they never seemed to be either shuttered ot unshuttered. A metalic clang came from Optimus' stomach plating as the sparkling was seen giving a quick kick as it tested the limits of it's temporary home. The digits were again extended, and then a fist was made. The thumb digit was laft out, and stuck out.

"Watch, Optimus."Ratchet pointed.

Optimus had been watching, but looked now at where Ratchet was pointing. The thumb digit was moved back, and dissapeared as it went into the lower portion of the sparkling's face.

"A thumb sucker."Ratchet chuckled, pressing a button and freezing the image a second. He had been doing so throughout the session.

Optimus gave a nod of his helm, a smile on his faceplates. Ratchet moved the hand held part of the ultrasound machine, and an image of the sparkling's pedes came closer. It appeared that it was between the legs, but Optimus wasn't sure. The image froze, and then Ratchet moved it around once more.

"Everything looks good."Ratchet said.

"Well?"Optimus asked. "What is it?"

Ratchet looked at Optimus, his face playfully showing that he was debating telling.

"It's a completely healthy mech."Ratchet congratulated the Prime.

/Yes! I told ya' so!/ Bumblebee was heard from the main hangar.

Optimus could not hold back a chuckle. "At least I won't have to tell them now."

Ratchet simply nodded as he attached a blank data-pad to the ultrasound moniter with a cord. After a few seconds, he took it off and handed it to Optimus.

"You could show them those, though."

Optimus took the pad and onlined it. There were many images of the sparkling from differnet stages of the 'pregnancy'. When he was still attached to the spark, when he had first begun his protoform, when he was no bigger then a human pencil, when he was about the size of Arcee's closed fist, and now. It was a very nice picture book, and Optimus took great pride of showing both humans and bots his sparkling's first pictures.

Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter...

Chapter Question- I have a name for the little mech, can anyone guess what it is? (Hint : It's an original G1 Transformer name)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Optimus vented in irritatation. He wasn't that uncomfortable on the large sofa the others usually used, but his large 'baby bump' was causing him a good deal of discomfort. He could barely move, was very warm, and was having trouble venting. Ratchet had said that these were all normal in his final 'month'. He was actually due any moment now, and the others went out of their way to hover about him. It was begining to get rather annoying.

With another vent, Optimus picked up a data-pad from the floor. It was beside a half empty magenta cube. He onlined it and began to read. This pad was not the 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' type book Ratchet had given him, or even the paper work Agent Fowler had him do from time to time. This was simply a data-pad he hadn't read in stellar cycles. It was about Cybertron before the Great Wars, during the Golden Age. There were very bright and colorful pictures in it as well, and Optimus spent a good deal of time reminising as he looked at pictures from the Crystal City, the city of Praxus and Polyhex, and his own Iacon. There were also pictures and descriptions of places like Kaon and Tyger Pax, two placed that had been at one point very good and populated areas.

Knocks came from his swollen stomach plating. They were a bit painful now, as well as uncomfortable. Ratchet had said this was also to be expected.

"Little one, can you please refrain from doing so?"Optimus asked.

He was answered by defiant kicks as the sparkling kicked and squirmed about. Ratchet had exolained this all to him. The sparkling was becoming more athletic as he was trying to flip over to 'stand on his helm'. Once he was there, Optimus would begin to go into labour, but it seemed that the little guy was having some trouble getting into position.

As more kicks and movements jerkily moved about the gestational chamber, Optimus shifted uncomfortably. The data-pad slid to the floor before he could catch it, and hit it with a thud.

"Everything all right?"Arcee asked, sounding a bit worried as it was her turn to 'hover'. Optimus swore that they took turns watching him.

"Everthing is fine, Arcee. There is no need to worry. I simply dropped my book."Optimus explained as he tried to reach for the book that was just out of reach.

Arcee picked it up for him and handed it back. It was a bit odd that Optimus was on the couch, but not really if one concidered what he was going through. Optimus' extra weight was making his ankles and pedes swell and his back struts ache, so he had retired to the sofa. He was not on berthrest, but had been relieved of all duty until the sparkling was born plus three days to recuperate if there were not any complications.

"Thank you."Optimus said politely in his deep, baritone voice as he took the pad from the blue femme.

"How are ya' feeling?"Arcee asked.

Optimus shifted as knocks erupted from his stomach plating. "As well as can be expected."

Arcee knew that that probably meant 'I've been better' or 'Uncomfortable'.

Arcee sat down at the Prime's pedes and began to rub the swollen ankles. Optimus jerked once, melting a bit under the comforting touch. He tensed up though, not allowing himself to enjoy it.

"Arcee?"Optimus asked as she continued the motions.

"Chill out."Arcee said in her normal tone. "Am I hurting you?"

Optimus shook his helm. It actually felt really good.

"Then chill."Arcee repeated.

Arcee reached beneath the armour and began to rub the tense wires beneath it. Optimus held his breath to hold back a gasp. Primus that felt good! Arcee seemed to be enjoying herself, and Optimus was begining to enjoy it as well.

"Where did you learn to do that?"Optimus asked.

"I had a carrier who had alot of sparklings."Arcee answered. "Her pedes would swell up and I would massage them for her. We spent alot of time together that way."

"What happened to them? Your family?"Optimus asked.

Arcee hung her helm, but never stopped the skillful movements of her hands. "My carrier was killed in one of the first raids, and my sire was killed later on in the War."

"I'm sorry to hear that."Optimus said gently.

"Everyone has a story like that."Arcee sid. "Now anyways. I'm a bit luckier then most though."

Optimus was trying desperatly hard not to fall asleep as the femme spoke. Her motions were so soothing though, and his optics so heavy. He shook his helm a bit.

"How is that so?"he asked politely.

"I know where my sisters are, kinda."Arcee answered.

This answer surprised Optimus a bit. He knew of a few of her sisters, Moonracer, Firestar and even Elita One, but he had no idea how she could be so certain of such a fact.

"How can you be so sure?"Optimus asked.

"I feel them still."Arcee answered. "The bonds may have been blocked, but I still feel them from time to time and I know they still feel me. I'd know if one of them offlined, just liked they'd knw if I died."

Optimus nodded, still trying to keep his optics open. They shuttered against his will, and his helm began to bop down. He jerked it back up. Smirking, Arcee continued to massege the ankles of the Prime, although she did it a bit softer now. The helm bobbed down again, this time to remain down. His ventilations became slow and even. Arcee rose from her spot, and left the sleeping Prime alone.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Optimus started awake, a sharp pain in his mid-section, like one he had never felt before. He had been stabbed in the tank area before, and punched and kicked, but this pain was like nothing he had ever felt before. He gasped once, and placed a hand over his stomach plating.

"Optimus?"Ratchet asked. "I see you're up."

"What is happening?"Optimus gasped.

Ratchet started and quickly went over to Optimus' side.

"Deep vents."Ratchet ordered as he scanned the Prime.

Optimus gasped a bit again as another pain rocketed through him. He tried to get his mind off of it as Ratchet finished his scan.

"Where...are the others?"he asked, stooping as he tensed up and cleanched his fists.

"On an energon scouting."Ratchet said, leaving out the part on how the only had enough energon to get them through a few weeks before they had to ration it out.

After rationing started, they would only have enough for one more week, if that. They barely had enough energon to get them through the rest of the month, as long as there were no servere injuries.

Optimus intook sharply, and held it. Ratchet was pulling him to his pedes, which the swelling had gone down immensly in.

"Easy, Optimus."Ratchet said, taking some of the Prime's weight. "You are in the begining stages of labour."

Optimus could only manage to nod. He gasped and doubled over a bit, letting go of Ratchet and holding onto the wall. Once the pain had passed, Ratchet got him into the med-bay and onto one of the berths.

"Easy."Ratchet said gently.

Optimus breathed out heavily, mumbling to himself as the pain became worse. Ratchet slid an I.V into his servo, one that was filled with a clear liquid just to keep him hydrated and to give him the proper things he'll be needing.

"This might take awhile, as you are not completely dialated. You will have pains, contractions, for awhile."

"How long?"Optimus asked.

"From what I can tell, abot an hour."Ratchet replied. "That isn't as long as some births I've seen though. Once, some poor carrier was in labour for almost two days. That was one miserable-"

Ratchet stopped as he saw the look on Optimus' face. It was one that said 'If you don't shut up I will bite your helm off'.

"Ratchet? Optimus?"Bulkhead's voice called out.

/Where is everyone?/Bumblebee whirred.

"In here."Ratchet called out. "But stay out!"

"Um, all right."Bulkhead said, going to go watch some televison. "Wonder what's going on."

Arcee slapped him. "What do you think, genious?"

Bulkhead thought for a moment. "Oh."

/What?/ Bumblebee asked.

"You'll see."Arcee said in a knowing tone of voice.

Bumblebee shrugged as he flopped down on the sofa next to Bulkhead. They sat there watching some sit-com for a quarter of an hour before a pained shout was heard throughout the base. Bumblebee jumped up, but was stopped by Arcee.

"It's all right, Bee."Arcee said.

/But Optimus-/

"Is in labour."Bulkhead finished."Sit down and wait, it could take awhile."

OoOoOoOoO

"Frag it."Optimus muttered as an intense pain radiated through his body.

Ratchet bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. The only reason he found this humerous was because the pain was not life threatening. Also, Optimus was never one to swear, no matter what was happening. Optimus shouted again as another contraction threatened to tear him in half. He felt something warm and wet flow down his pedes, and drip onto the floor.

"Ratchet?"Optimus asked, worry in his voice.

Ratchet shook his helm. "That's supposed to happen. Your oil broke. Your sparkling will be here soon."

"Okay."Optimus said, sounding like the timid Orion Pax instead of the strong and brave Optimus Prime.

"When I say push, you push."Ratchet said, getting into position to catch the sparkling. "Ready?"

OoOoOoOoOoO

A scream filled the base, causing Bumblebee to jump up again. His optics were large with fright.

"Cool it, Bee."Bulkhead said.

"Push."Ratchet's voice came over the shout.

Another shout, all though it was more strained and not as loud. "Frag you!"

"Me?"Ratchet argued back. "I didn't do this to you."

"Frag Primus then."Optimus said breathlessly.

Arcee smirked. Another shout was heard, and more arguing and cussing. Bumblebee's doorwings shook a bit as the shouting intensified to it's climax, and then stopped. Bulkhead sat up a bit, and Arcee turned her helm towards the med-bay.

A metalic slap was heard, and then an infant's wailing. Bumblebee clapped his hands once and almost seemed to bounce on his pedes. Ratchet's voice came from the med-bay.

"You all can come in now."

The three bots left the Recreational area and went towards the med-bay. Optimus was laying on the berth, looking exhausted. Ratchet was cleaning off the sparkling, allthough he was not visible to anyone yet. Ratchet bundled him up, and went over to Optimus. He handed the bundle to the Prime.

"A healthy mech."he announced over the sparkling's cries.

The bundle was placed in Optimus' servos, and he peered down into the well wrapped bundle. The tiny mech peeped out, his face nearly completely covered except for his optics and the tip of his olfactory sensor. Optimus pushed back the blanket a bit to reveal the tiny helm.

It was a bright, firery red and yellow. A small red chevron topped it's helm, odd as Optimus didn't have one. Optimus slowly unwrapped the sparkling, to get a good look at him. His entiry frame seemed to be an emlem of fire. His flame was decorated with shades or red, yellow, and orange. He had stopped crying soon after being placed in his carrier's servos, and hiccuped contentedly.

Bumblebee buzzed softly, something that sounded an awful lot like 'Awww!'. Arcee had stood still, just drinking in the sight of the new life. Bulkhead had done the same as Arcee, but was the first to find his voice.

"Congratulations, sir."

"Thank you, Bulkhead." Optimus replied in a tired and rasped voice as he recovered the sparkling.

/What's his name?/ Bumblebee asked.

Optimus looked at the tiny sparkling that was now asleep in his servos. He brushed the side of his digit over the silky soft face. The sparkling wriggled a bit, but did not wake up.

"Well?"Ratchet asked, curious as to what the designation was.

"Hot Rod." Optimus replied.

Author's Note : Viva il Papa! Viva il Papa Fransisco! Long live Pope Francis!

I was surprised at how many people guessed the name! I apologize for the sucky birth scene, if you want a better one, I have others that are more detailed. Or you can look up one, they are not that hard to find.

Story Question- Do you think Optimus Prime will be overprotective, or will another bot be the overly watchful one?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Optimus had fallen asleep soon after the other's departure. They went to go get the humans, who had asked to see the first sparkling to be born since Bumblebee. Ratchet had placed Hot Rod in a small, topless, movable incubator. The sparkling slept on his stomach plating, his servos raised above his helm. A soft blanket covered him.

"Where is he?"came and energetic, female voice.

"Sleeping, so keep it down."Ratchet said in a low yet sharp voice.

"Can we see him?"Miko asked, her voice low but she was now bouncing toget rid of some energy.

"If you remain quiet and do not wake either of them up."Ratchet replied.

"I'll make sure she stays quiet."June assured the medic.

Ratchet grunted as he led the humans to the med-bay. He lifted them up to the railing and perch so that they could get a bird's eye view.

"Aww!"Miko exclaimed the second she saw the red helm and red and yellow servos.

"Shhh!"Jack, June, and Raf all shushed her.

Miko crossed her arms and huffed out. She instantly forgot her pouting as she looked at the recharging sparkling again.

"What's his name?"Raf asked.

"Hot Rod."Ratchet replied, uncovering the sparkling a bit so that the humans could get a better look.

"Ooh! I like that. Optimus has got some taste after all."Miko said.

Jack rolled his eyes. The next thing he knew, he was being pushed away from the sight along with Raf and Miko.

"Mom?"Jack asked.

"Come on!"Miko exclaimed. "I want to see the-"

The humans froze as a whimpering sound came from behind them. Miko quickly shook lose of June's grip and ran back to the railing in time to see Hot Rod squirming a bit under the blanket. His face was visible although he still lay on his tank. His bottom lip trembled a bit as he drifted somewhere between awake and asleep.

"Shhh."Ratchet said gently, sliding his digit on the side of the sparkling's cheek.

Hot Rod would have none of it, and began to cry and scream the way only a newborn could. His tiny glossa vibrated as he shouted.

"Good going, Miko." Jack said in a demeaning tone.

Miko dramatically threw her hands up in the air. "Why does everyone blame me?"

Ratchet rolled his optics as he picked up the sparkling, blanket and all. He bounced at a tiny bit, shushing it. Hot Rod would not be concoled though. His tank felt funny, and he wanted something although he had no idea what it was. Something warm was being pressed in his mouth, and he instinctivly began to suck on it. Instinct aslo told him something was wrong, as something was not happening.

Ratchet held his digit in Hot Rod's mouth. The tiny sparkling seemed to calm down as he gripped Ratchet's hand and sucked hard. Hot Rod would only be quiet for so long though, as he had not been fed yet. June had shooed the children away, leaving the medic alone with the sparkling and still recharging Prime.

"Optimus."Ratchet said loudly, slapping the Prime's pede with a metalic clang. "Get up."

Optimus slowly onlined. He looked about groggily.

"What is it?"he asked in a sleep voice.

"Hot Rod want's to be fed."Ratchet replied.

At the sound of his carrier's voice, Hot Rod had released Ratchet's digit and began to cry again. He began to calm down again as he was pressed into warm, familiar servos, and heard the soothing sound of his carrier's sparkbeat. Optimus opened up his chasis to reveal two filled feeding bags full of sparkling energon.

Instinct took over the tiny mech, and he reached for the sweet smelling energon. He began to suck again, and his mouth was filled with a soft pink and sweet tasting liquid. He swallowed, letting the warm fluid fill his tank and soothe him. He continued to suck, never coming off until the bag had been drained. Optimus flipped him over and the process was repeated until both bags had been drained of their fluid.

Hot Rod lay half asleep in his carrier's servos, very full. It was a bit uncomfortable,as most of his tank was filled with air. He felt soothing pats being placed on his back, and he did what came naturally.

Optimus gently pat the sparkling's back struts, to dislodge the trapped air in his tank. The sparkling moved a bit as he burped, and then settled into his carrier's servos as he was comfortably lain in them and swaddled with a blanket. Optimus watched at the baby blue, almost azure, optics shuttered back into recharge.

Ratchet had been gone for awhile now, having wanted the Prime to be alone with his sparkling. It had almost been an hour, and he went to check on them. The moment he entered he wished he hadn't, not without a scanner or camera of some sort.

Optimus was holding Hot Rod to his chasis, the sparkling on his tank. Both were deep in recharge. Ratchet took an internal freeze frame shot of the picture, planning on downloading it to a moniter or data-pad later on. Ratchet dimmed the lights in the med-bay, and left.

OoOoOoOoO

When Optimus woke up, it was late at night. It had been late when the humans had been around, but that had been some hours ago and they had departed long ago. Why had he woken up in the first place? He had always been a sound sleeper. Screaming cries of a sparkling reminded him.

Optimus rose, a bit sore, to get the sparkling. Ratchet must had put him back into the makeshift cradel. He paused a moment, just looking at him. Quickly snapping himself out of his stupor, he picked Hot Rod up, the warming blanket slipping a bit in the process.

"Shhh."Optimus shushed the sparkling. "It's all right."

Hot Rod snuggled into Optimus' chasis, hiccuping a bit from his cries. Optimus sat back down and opened up his chest plates. His feeding bags had filled up in recharge. The sparkling nuzzled the bags a minute before attaching.

Optimus closed his optics as he felt the sparkling on him. It felt natural, like it had always been meant to be. This sparkling's 'virgin birth', his very excistance was a miracle in itself. A special gift from Primus, meant to be cherished. In a way, Primus was the sire of him, as the Matrix had caused the second spark. Ratchet had explained that Hot Rod was indeed 'living' and not some accident that had come about from a malfunction in the Matrix.

Optimus switched the sparkling over to the other bag. It began to happily suck on it, draining it in record time. Once finished, Optimus bundled him back up and went to go lay him down. It was still the middle of the night. While Optimus still needed to rest, Hot Rod seemed to be well rested on top of being nocturnal. After Optimus had laid back down, twitters beeps and chirrups came from the incubator.

"Go to sleep, Hot Rod."Optimus called out gently from the med-berth.

Hot Rod crowed loudly, and then continued to beep and chirp. Optimus vented as he got back up.

"You are noisy, little one."Optimus chuckled as he picked up the sparkling.

Hot Rod continued to coo and chirp in his carrier's servos, snug and warm in the blankets.

"Is there anything I can do to make you go to sleep?"Optimus asked.

Twitters and chirps answered in the negative.

"Will a walk tire you out?"Optimus asked.

Optimus smiled gently as the sparkling continued to make noises. Optimus began to walk about the base, hoping that the motion would lull the sparkling into recharge. It didn't, and Hot Rod looked about with great curiosity, clicking and whirring at the interesting sights. He was very intrigued by the green moniters, and stared at them with his large blue optics.

"Optimus?"

Hot Rod clicked as the second familiar voice.

"Ratchet, what are you doing up?"Optimus asked, afraid that he had woken up the medic.

"Couldn't recharge and heard noises."Ratchet said with a shrug.

Hot Rod added his own input. Ratchet chuckled, and made a motion as if to ask permission. Optimus gave a nod, and was relieved of the sparkling.

"Hey, little mech."Ratchet said softly.

Hot Rod reached uo his servos and tried to bat the medics face.

"Ep ep ep."Ratchet said, wagging a digit.

The sparkling payed no mind to the correction and tried to grab onto the digit. Ratchet moved it closer, and Hot Rod pulled it to his mouth and began to pacify himself with it.

"Hot Rod,"Optimus started. "Do you have any idea where that has been?"

Hot Rod let out a squeaky sigh as he gripped Ratchet's hand, opening and closing his digits as he sucked on it. His optics became half shuttered as he looked from the medic to the Prime and back again. He didn't care where that delicious digit had been, only that he wanted to suck on it.

"I didn't think he would ever go back into recharge."Optimus admitted, watching as his sparkling began to drift back to sleep.

Ratchet chukled a bit as he handed the now recharging sparlkling back to it's carrier. Ratchet raised a servo above his helm and yawned.

"I'm going to bed."Ratchet stated.

"Good night, old friend."Optimus called after the retreating medic.

Ratchet grunted a bit in reply, went into his berthroom, and closed the door. After a few moments in the quiet room, Optimus looked down at the sparkling that had managed to get it's thumb digit in it's mouth. A soft smile crept across the battle scarred face of the Prime. Slowly, as to not wake up his son, Optimus went back into the medical bay and lay Hot Rod down before laying down himself.

Author's Notes : I am so sorry it took so long to update this. Here it is. Quick note, I said that Hot Rod was a red chevron. He does not! Not yet, anyway. The chevron is tied into a later chapter. Okay? Thanks.

Chapter question- What do you want to see happen in a leter chapter? Like, much later. When Hot Rod is older, but not an adult.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

An earth month passed, and Hot Rod grew immensley. He had gotten larger in size, and had been moved to a crib in Optimus' room. He fed reguallry, and only woke once or twice during the night. He always seemed calm and content, and only cried when he was hungry. He seemed to like Bumblebee the best, next to his carrier. Age might have had something to do with it, but all the same the two seemed to be the best of friends.

Bumblebee and Hot Rod were together now. Hot Rod was propped up on some pillows, as he was a bit larger then Raf but not much. Bumblebee lay on his tank, entertaining the sparkling. A few toys had been made for him, and Hot Rod's absolute favorite was a metalic rattle. Bumblebee waived it back and forth before the sparkling's face, earning a chorus of giggles.

Optimus smiled as he watched them a bit from the moniter. He felt his feeding protocals online, and knew that it was time for Hot Rod to feed. He stepped toward youngling and sparkling.

"I do not mean to inturrupt."Optimus started. "But Hot Rod is getting hungry."

/Ohhh/ Bumblebee moaned a bit, doorwings drooping a tiny bit. /All right/

"You are a wonderful gardian for him."Optimus complimented as he picked up the clicking sparkling.

/Aw, gee.../Bumblebee whirred, waving his hands dissmissivly.

"If you like, I can return him to you after his nap."Optimus suggested.

Bumblebee nodded vigorously, and his doorwings perked back up. Optimus gave a nod of his helm as he started to his berthroom to feed Hot Rod.

Now, feeding a sparkling was not a private task, nor was it considered vulgar by Cybertronians. It was a natural fact of life, and was usually looked foward to by both creators and creations alike. The only reason Optimus was going to his room to feed Hot Rod was because when the sparkling fell asleep, he did not want to risk waking him by treking across the base and to his room to lay him down.

Optimus halted by the hall. He turned to Bumblebee, who was picking up the few toys scattered about.

"Why don't you get a cube of energon?"Optimus suggested. The youngling looked like he needed it.

Bumblebee's cheery face fell a bit as he straightened up, servos filled with a rattle and one or two other items, and his doorwings drooped again. He shook his helm, although he was hungry.

/I'm good, thanks though/

Optimus knew why Bumblebee was declining. The energon vault was nearly empty, a few small cubes here and there. An energon deposit had not been found since before Hot Rod's birth. They had been on rashions for quite awhile, but everyone skipped as much as they could. It was really taking a drag on the younger bots, Bumblebee and Hot Rod mainly, as they were still growing. Optimus himself was feeling rather sluggish, as Hot Rod took most of what Optimus consumed, though no fault of his own.

Optimus' feeding protocals would take nearly 75% of what energon he consumed and converted it into a sparkling mix for Hot Rod. Optimus needed at least 60% himself to keep himself running on the bare minimum, so he had to consume a bit more then he usually did. He was only taking in about 45% now, and it was growing less and less every day.

The others were also suffering. Everyone was feeling tired and rather hungry from the lack of energon, altough nobody would let it on. It had been decided, though, that the children would find themselves a way to and from school each day, and were not permitted to come to base until a new source was found.

Hot Rod began to fuss a bit as he waited for his carrier to open his chasis.

"Calm down, little one."Optimus gently murmured as he did so.

His feeding bags were less then half-filled, but Hot Rod made the most of it. He drained each bag quickly, and fell into recharge, his tank still calling out for more fuel. It hurt Optimus to see not only someone this young, but his own child suffering although it was more internally now. With time though, if a new energon deposite was not found soon, everone would begin to show outward symptoms.

OoOoOoOoO

Three more days had passed, and Hot Rod was crying again. He had begun almost a day and a half ago, and very little would concole him. Being a sparkling, his frame began to burn energy the very second it was taken in. With an hour or two, it would be comletely gone. He was growing at such a rate,as all sparklings did, that he needed more and more fuel to accomodate his growing frame and replace what had been lost.

He had just finished eating now, but the bags had barely even been a quarter full. His tank protested loudly for more, but Optimus could not give him any.

"I'm sorry."Optimus apologized, sorrowfully.

Optimus placed a digit in the sparklings mouth, knowing that it was more a tease then a pacifier, but it did the trick. Hot Rod fell into a hungry recharge, sucking the digit as if his life depended on it. Optimus vented as he lay the sparkling down in his cradle, and covered him up.

As Optimus rose, he noticed a one bot audience in the open doorway. Ratchet stood there, peering in.

"Is there something you need?"Optimus asked, trying to push aside the cramping in his tank.

Ratchet shook his helm, pushing aside his own pain as everone else was. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Hot Rod is in recharge."Optimus answered. "I am glad that he has some form of escape from the pain he is in."

Ratchet nodded again. "I was talking about you though."

"I am as well as everone else."Optimus replied.

Ratchit just raised an optic ridge. Besides Hot Rod, Optimus was the second bot suffering the most from the extreme lack of energon. They now had enough cubes for one, maybe two more meals. Very meager meals, only a few sips per bot. Ratchet was about to say more when an odd cough came from behind the two mechs, from inside the cradle.

Hot Rod was wide awake now, and in great pain. His tank was cramped and hurt,and seemed to jerk about. He half cried half choked as something began to happen to him, leaving him feeling weak and scared.

Optimus and Ratchet quickly went to the crib to see Hot Rod, crying and retching. Ratchet acted first, picking up the sparkling and laying him over his hand. He began to pat and rub the sparkling's back struts.

"Optimus, hold that rag up."Ratchet said quickly, motioning towards an unused spit-up cloth that lay neatly folded on the corner of the desk.

Optimus quickly grabbed the rag and held it under the sparkling, just in time too. The moment the soft rag was pressed beneath his chin, the sparkling made a retching hiccuping sound, and purged almost everything it had just eaten. Hot Rod gasped in and continued to choke and cry, sometimes purging a bit, sometimes not.

"It's all right."Optimus said gently, caressing the top of Hot Rod's helm with one hand and still holding the now soiled rag with the other.

Ratchet continued to hold Hot Rod over his hand, rubbing his back. Once Hot Rod had purged almost his entire tank's contents, he hung limply and began to cry. His throat burned, his tank conrinued to cramp, and he barely had anything left in him.

"Is he ill?"Optimus asked as Ratchet turned the sparkling to a more comfortable position.

Ratchet shook his helm. "He's not sick, but his tank's too small to handle cramping."

Hot Rod continued to sniffle and cry, wondering why he hurt so bad. Optimus took him from Ratchet, and covered him with a blanket as the flame coloured sparkling had started to shiver.

"Shhh."Optimus tried to soothe the whimpering sparkling. "It's all right."

Optimus tried to online his feeding protocals, but to his dismay they would not start up.

"Don't hurt yourself."Ratchet said.

"He's hungry."Optimus stated, still fruitlessly trying to online his feeding protocals.

"I know that."Ratchst said in a rather irritated voice."But there is nothing you can do."

Optimus vented, gently tickling the side of Hot Rod's helm in an effort to soothe him. Hot Rod began to fall into an exhausted recharge. Optimus gently rocked him, and soon the sparkling was once again asleep.

OoOoOoOoOoO

He hadn't meant to sleep in, even if it was only an hour. He was exhausted though, and physically couldn't wake himself up. Optimus went into the main hangar, his pedes dragging slightly and Hot Rod laying limply in his servos. Optimus hadn't been able to make Hot Rod any more then a few sips of sparkling energon.

It was now the fifth day of absolutely no energon, as the vault was completely empty. The Decepticons hadn't tried anything as of late, most likely in the same predicament as the Autobots. Everybot was taking turns at the moniters, day and night, to look for even a small pulse of energon. Optimus had taken most of graveyard shift, having been unable to recharge.

"Optimus, why are you up?"Ratchet asked.

"I have overslept as it is, and doubt that Hot Rod and I will be able to go back into recharge."Optimus answered.

Ratchet didn't argue, nobody had the strenght to do so. Nobody could recharge well, their tanks would grind loudly and cramp. Bumblebee sat on the sofa most of the time, unable to get up and get around much. Arcee and Bulkhead would watch the moniters as much as they could, or try and recharge. Ratchet did the same, or cleaned up his lab and med-bay or read a data-pad. Optimus would mainly watch the moniters or try and online his feeding protcals, even a little bit. Today was the first day he had successfully managed to make a bit. Hot Rod had been holding it down rather well, but Optimus still had a spit-up rag over his shoulder, just in case.

Optimus went over to the moniters, Hot Rod begining to mewl a bit.

"Shhh."Optimus hushed, soothing bouncing the sparkling a bit in his servos.

Hot Rod sniffled, coolant slowly dripping down his faceplates. He began to choke and cough. Quickly moving, Optimus flipped Hot Rod over his hand and placed the rag under his mouth.

"Shhh, it's all right."Optimus continued to try and calm the crying sparkling.

Hot Rod continued to cough and choke violently until he purged a very acidic mix of tank acids and only a small bit of energon. He fell limp in the Prime's hand after doing so. Optimus folded the rag in half, and set it aside to be cleaned later. Optimus hadn't really looked at Hot Rod yet until he lay the flame colored sparkling back into his servos.

Hot Rod had lain unusually still, and his optics were shuttered, but not quite. He looked delerious, and Optimus was sure that the sparkling was running a temperature. The Prime looked towards the medic, pleading wih his optics for Ratchet's assistance. Said medic went to the Prime as quickly as possible.

A small beam of light was sent out of Ratchet's servo and enveloped the still frame. The energy levels were much too low, but that was to be expected when even Ratchet's emergency energon transfusion bags had been drained. The levels were almost low enough to put a bot in emergency stasis, but not quite. Hot Rod had simply passed out.

"Keep him covered."Ratchet said simply. "He'll wake up soon."

"Will he be all right?"Optimus questioned.

Ratchet vented. "He'll wake up soon."

Optimus cradled the smaller, still motionless frame closer to his own. As Ratchet left Prime's side, he heard the taller mech whisper to the sparkling.

"Just hold on."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Seven days. Seven days of no energon. Every single bot on pays was paying dearly for it. Bumblebee was begining to run a rather high temperature and had been placed on the sofa, so that Ratchet could keep an optic on him. Arcee had slept in untill almost noon, and was even now dozing off as she leaned against the wall of the base. Bulkhead was sitting with Bee, either talking with him or just trying to entertain the younger mech. Ratchet sat in the med-room chair, either watching the others or trying desperatly to complete the formula for Synthetic energon. Optimus sat on a few crates, watching the moniters again. Everyone took turns, but Optimus had insisted on taking a few extra shifts. He was a bit more observant then the others, and it took his processor off of Hot Rod.

Hot Rod was the worst of all. His temperature had sky-rocketed, making Ratchet keep him in a sparkling incubator with a fan blowing on him. From time to time, Ratchet would give Hot Rod a sponge bath, usuing cold water. Hot Rod never made a sound, simply staring at whoever was with him.

Optimus was getting rather bad himself. He was getting frequent dizzy spells and extreme bouts of vertigo. If the room wasn't spinning, then he was probably in recharge. Staring at the moniters helped him to focus, but they were not helping now. The screens` swam in every way immaginable. Optimus shuttered and unshuttered his optics a few times, trying to get some coolant to them. A dry glossa quickly licked cry, cracked lips. Optimus tightened his grip on the controls.

With a sigh, Optimus sank to his knees before laying sprawled across the floor.

"Prime!"Arcee exclaimed, her voice rasped and dry.

Ratchet was quickly at the Prime's side as well. A quick scan confirmed that Optimus was both uncontious and burning up. It appeared that he had been overheating for quite awhile now. Ratchet glanced up as a small, barely noticible 'blip' sound came from the moniter.

"I can't believe it."Ratchet could barely whisper.

"What is it?"Bulkhead asked, getting up but motioning for Bumblebee to stay down.

"There's a small deposite."Ratchet said, pointing at the screen. "Prime jarred the moniter when he fell."

Ratchet would have chuckled if he had the strenght, and if his leader wasn't still laying uncontious at his feet.

"I'll openen the bridge."Ratchet announced. "Get in, grab just enough to make a few cubes. We'll worry about the rest later."

Bumblebee wobbled to his pedes. /Wait f-/ a whirring, coughing sound came as Bumblebee cleared his throat. / Wait for me/

"We got it, Bee."Arcee replied. "We'll be quick."

Bulkhead and Arcee quickly went through the swirling bridge. It wasn't even closed behind them, warning them to be quick. The two Autobots found themselves once again in a cool, dark cave. Bulkhead took out his wrecking balls, a bit of energy glowing dimmly through seams in the armour. He began to brutally pound on the wall, first cracking it, and then shattering it to pieces as it caved in a bit. Arcee coughed a bit as she tried to clear her vents of the rising dust.

Clearing vents would have to wait though. A bright, blue glow illuminated off of the green and blue metal of the Autobots. Without a word, four hands broke off large pieces of the rather large deposite, and went back through the bridge. It closed behind them.

Ratchet didn't say anything as he quickly took the crystals. Optimus was no longer on the floor, but in the med-bay. He had woken up and Ratchet had gotten him into a berth, but the Prime had placed himself as a sentury by Hot Rod.

Almost fifeteen minutes later, Ratchet materialized besides the Prime.

"Drink this."

Optimus began to take the large cube, but stopped. "Have the others gotten any yet?"

Ratchet grabbed Optimus servo and thrust the cube in his hand. "I'm getting theirs now. You and Hot Rod both need this, and you need it first so that Hot Rod can get his."

Well, when the medic put it that way... Optimus took the cube with a small nod of his helm. As soon as Ratchet had left, four large cubes of energon his his hands, Optimus lifted his cube to his dry lips and tilted his helm back. He closed his optics, taking a long drough from the cool liquid. It felt so good and coated his entire mouth and throat with the rich, rawness of fresh energon. Before he had even finished it,he felt his feeding protocals come on automatically. His feeding bags filled up quickly, and Optimus set aside his empty cube.

"Hot Rod."Optimus called out to the half asleep sparkling.

A weak churruping met his audios as Hot Rod glanced up to look at his carrier,

"Come here, little one."Optimus said gently, his voice back it's usual rich, baritone level.

Hot Rod didn't make a single sound as Optimus lifted him up and sat down on the edge of a medical berth. He opened up has chasis, and brought Hot Rod close to one of the feeding nubs. Hot Rod nuzzled it, but didn't open his mouth nor did he latch on.

"Come on, it's all right."Optimus gently encouraged.

Hot Rod looked up at his carrier, but let his helm fall back. Optimus manually moved Hot Rod onlt the nub, and squirted a small amount of the pink liquid into the sparkling's mouth. A bit drizzled from the side of it, but Hot Rod's automatic swallowing reflex made the liquid go down. Optimus did so again, and Hot Rod was able to drink a bit more. Optimus stopped squirting and let Hot Rod sit there, hoping that the sparkling would take over.

Hot Rod again sat back, and looked up at his carrier. Hot Rod had a bit of the pink liquid on his lips, and a tiny gray glossa darted out to lick up the drops. Without warning, Hot Rod suddenly slammed himself into his carrier, and began to furiously suckle. Optimus wanted to smile warmly at the hungry sparkling, but found his optics welding up with coolant as well. Hot Rod was not hungry, he was starving. It was going to take awhile for him to 'get back on his feet'. It was going to take many feedings, and a good deal of patience.

Hot Rod popped off of Optimus' feeding bag with a wet 'pop' and the squeaky, twittering sound of air. He twittered up at Optimus, wanting the other feeding bag as well. It was the least Optimus could do, and soon Hot Rod was happily eating again, and fell into recharge soon after finishing.

Optimus closed his chasis, but continued to hold Hot Rod. He rocked the sparkling a bit, back and forth.

"I'm sorry, little one."Optimus said softly. "I promice that I will do everything in my power to protect you."

Optimus had been protecting Hot Rod from the very begining, but felt that he needed to say it aloud now. Optimus wished that he could promice that he would never let anything bad happen to his offspring, but that would have been a lie.

"I promice."

Author's Note: I know, crappy chapter. Sorry.

Story Question- What do you think Hot Rod's first word will be?


End file.
